Really sorry this chapter took so long...college work, writers block and Richelle Mead's new book are all to blame I would like to give a special shoutout to all of my lovely reviewers new and old alike so here goes THANK YOU to SapphireNight12, the biba lima linda, littledhampir13, , jediahsokaroxx, Ianosheaismine, Stardom, MrsCarlisleCullenXx, Moxie Michelle Cullen and Samia Cullen

Chapter 17

Wanda's POV

I blinked keeping my eyes shut a split second longer than I would normally do during blinking but when I opened my eyes the scene before me was still the same.

Ian and Mel were seated on the end of the bed in Mel and Jared's room. I averted my gaze from Ian's stricken face looking anywhere but at his startling blue eyes. I glanced around the room while comprehending what I had just seen; Ian and Mel together.

My eyes rested on Jared's worn blue jeans and jacket strewn over the pile of paperbacks in the corner of their cave – Jared. He had stepped forward and gripped my hand with his own tanned, strong hand and was gently tugging on my limp arm trying to pull me from the room.

But still I stood there and before Jared could stop me I stepped out of his reach, his hand dropping mine and moved closer to where Mel and Ian sat.

"Wanda" Ian gasped again but before I could trust myself to look at him I turned to Mel who was staring at me; tears streaming down her sun kissed face.

"I'm sorry" she whispered as I reached where she sat. She took one more long look at me between her shining lashes and then closed her eyes and just sat there waiting – what did she think I was going to do; hurt her – surely not. Even she knew I could never strike another person, it went against everything I was and believed in.

Instead I did something that made both Ian and Jared's jaws drop and that made Mel jerk across the bed. I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and told her I forgave her.

"No" she exclaimed. "You can't do that, I kissed Ian; your Ian, you should hate me"

"I don't hate you Mel" I replied.

"Stop being so self sacrificing" she demanded. "Please Wanda you're just making me feel ten times worse."

"Not as bad as I feel" I replied.

Mel and Ian shared identical looks of confusion.

"I – I don't understand" Mel stuttered.

I felt Jared come up behind me and it was him that answered the question

"Maybe we should all sit down and talk, it looks like we al have some explaining to do"

I realised now that kicking Jamie out of their room when Mel got her body back was due to lack of space contrary to what everyone in the caves had assumed.

Once all four of us had comfortably sat ourselves on the bed or on the little floor space there was, there was barely room to move an arm.

Ian had positioned himself so that his thigh kept brushing mine and he looked at me apologetically every time that it happened.

"So Wanda" Mel started. "Are you going to tell us what you meant by what you just said. Obviously Jared knows" She glances at Jared at this point and as I follow her gaze I see that he is looking at me for answers.

"I don't know where to begin" I mutter quietly and then I silently begin to sob as the full weight of the situation hits me.

I love Jared...of that I'm sure – but I love Ian too and I don't want to hurt him. Then there is Melanie who survived a year with me in her body controlling her fully just to spend another day with Jared, the love of her life, who I now wanted to take from her.

Jared reaches out to comfort me at the same time as Ian and all at once the tension in the room multiplies. Ian's arms freezes inches from my shoulder his eyes fixed on Jared's hand now resting on my other arm. Mel's eyes dart between the Jared and I and I see the realisation of what is truly going on dawn on her.

"You...you and Jared" Mel stammers.

"I'm sorry Mel, we didn't mean it to happen but we just spent so much time together" Jared started. "You and I...we weren't the same as we used to be and you never seemed to want to spend time with me"

"So you thought you'd spend time with my Girlfriend then Howe" Ian spat finally speaking up.

I panicked at the sight of the two of them warring off against each other.

"What like you did with mine O'Shea" Jared retorted.

"Guys please stop it" Mel urged.

"He started it!" Jared growled.

"I'll start something in a minute" Ian replied and he went to launch himself at Jared.

Without thinking I dove in between the two of them and took the brunt of Ian's shoulder to the chest.

The cry of pain that escaped my lips was involuntary and I regretted it instantly at seeing the look of horror on Ian's face when he realised it was him that had done it. Jared and he seemed to have forgotten their fight for the moment and Jared was quickly checking me over to see if I was okay.

"I'm fine" I breathed

"Oh my gosh, Wanda I'm so sorry. I didn't mean too...I didn't know you were going to try and get between the two of us...are you sure you're okay"

"Yes Ian I'm fine really"

Mel was in the corner of the cave looking between the three of us. She seemed to have overcome her initial shock and looked to be the only one thinking rationally.

"I think we all need to sit down and talk this through together like adults" Mel finally stated.

I quickly nodded in agreement eagerly and Jared and Ian followed suit trying to behave for now.

We decided between ourselves that this small cramped cave wasn't really the ideal place to have this talk. The cave was to cramped and small to deal with the tension flowing between the four of us. So in a single file we traipsed through the narrow passageways nodding at people we saw Lily, Trudy, and Geoff as we made our way to the games room which was empty.

We sat down and I leant my back against the cold rock wall, far enough in the corner that most of my face was obscured in the darkness.

"So I think its safe to assume something has been going on between the two of you" Mel spoke from somewhere close to my right. I could imagine her gesturing in mine and Jared's direction.

I didn't say anything but I didn't have too because Jared jumped in...

"Look...we didn't mean for this to happen and we didn't think it was ever going to but we've grown close over the past few months and we can't help the way we feel"

"How long" Ian asked

"On this raid" Jared replied

I could just make out Ian nodding in the shadows and took comfort in the fact that they weren't tearing into each other again.

"Where did it all go wrong between us" Ian finally asked after a minute's silence. Although it sounded as though the question was meant for all of us it became apparent that he was talking more to himself.

"I always thought that Wanda was the one for me! I was certain of it...and then...and then all of this with the baby happened, and I got to know Mel properly and now...now I don't know what to think"

I moved out of the corner and placed my hand over his. I had made my choice now – I wanted to be with Jared but I still cared about Ian, no matter what.

"I think I love Mel too Wanda" he whispered in my ear and I felt his tears fall onto my shoulder as he rested his cheek against mine.

I was crying by this point too now and I wrapped my arms around Ian as I braced myself to tell him what I had too.

"Then go be with her" I sighed. "If she can make you happy half as much as you made me then you will have found someone incredibly special. She's a great person Ian and she's your chance to live a more normal life"

"What about you though Wanda...I love you too"

"She will be fine with me" Jared replied from my left. He was close enough to have heard our whispered conversation and I could just make out Mel close to him so I was sure she had heard too

"Is this what you want Wanda?" Ian asked his hand this time covering mine.

"It is!" I replied and I knew that it was

"Then you better take care of her Jared because I not only know where you live, but live there too"

He finally removed his hand from mine and stood up. He didn't wait for Mel but left the games room on his own and knew that's how he wanted to be – alone, for now.

Mel wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt and then stood up to leave too her bump seeming even more visible than usual.

She kissed Jared on the top of his head and then leant down to me too.

"I know you love him Wanda...if you took anything from me it was that love and I know that you can make him happy the way he deserves. I know this is hard for you; it is for all of us but this is human life, feelings change and there is nothing you can do to change it"

I pulled her into a hug and in that moment all the previous months growing resentment dissipated. She was my sister, my other half and the person I would miss most from this world and I hoped beyond hope that we would be able to make it through all of this as close as we had once been.

I let her go and watched her leave making a promise to keep our relationship as good as can be. It was just Jared and I now and I took a deep breath before taking his hand in mine and standing up to leave – together.

Okay so what do you think!!!!!!!!! I suffered from real writers block here because I deviated from the plan I had started off with at the start and so I didn't know how I wanted to go with it or how to really go about it. I really would like to hear what you think because your support and comments are what have inspired me to keep going even after I hit the wall. I still have a week left of my Easter Holiday left and so if I don't have too much work I will try to update again within the week. I BEG YOU ALL TO PLEASE, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW; you took the time to read the chapter now can you please spend two more minutes reviewing it.